Operating mechanism for mechanical merchandising machine



April 8, 1969 R. CALZARETTA ET AL 3,437,237

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR MECHANICAL MERCHANDISING MACHINE med April 20, 1967 oILnAI'ING NEcaANIsN Fon MECHANICAL MERCHANDISING MACHINE /berf Kur/'2275,49

April s, 1969 eeALzAeeTfA eTAL 3,437,237 f OPERATING MECHANISM FOR MECHANICAL MERCHANDISING MACHINE vFiled mm1v zo, 'A1967 j l 1 sheet 3 ef 4 APIS, 1969 R. cALzARr-:TTA ET AL 3,437,237

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR MECHANICAL MERCHANDISING MACHINE Filed April 2o, 1967 sheet 4 of 4 INVENTORS Ficha/J a/Zarea Leo Ka# H 7- TOR/VE YS United States Patent O 3,437,237 OPERATING MECHANISM FOR MECHANICAL MERCHANDISING MACHINE Richard Calzaretta, Lake Hiawatha, Leo Kulis West Caldwell, and Albert Kurimsky, Rockaway, NJ., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Rowe International, Inc., Whippany, NJ., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 632,247 Int. Cl. G07f 11/06; B65g 59/00; B65h 3/00 U.S. Cl. 221-90 17 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An operating mechanism for a mechanical merchandising machine in which a selectively operated pull rod swings a common operating bar around a pivot spaced from the -bar against the laction of a relatively constant force torsion spring at the end of the bar remote the bar driven auxiliary mechanism. The operating bar drives a full stroke pawl along an arcuate rack and a `link on \the bar pivots a bell crank to cause a drive link to actuate a pivoted coin register drive arm which receives a pin on the coin mechanism locking bar. An overspeed locking link rides on a pin on the operating bar link to regulate the rapidity with which a customer can draw a pull bar from its home position. Movement of a pull rod pivots a crank to drive a pin on the dispensing mechanism associated with the rod to initiate a dispensing operation. A one way resilient lost motion connection between each pull rod and the rest of the mechanism prevents too forceful a return of the rod from damaging the mechanism.

Background of the invention There are known in the prior art mechanical, manually-operated merchandising machines in which a number of pull rods arranged across the front of the machine can selectvely be operated to obtain various articles of merchandise. When the operating mechanism of the machne has been freed for operation by the deposit in the machine of a sum aggregating the purchase price of the selected article, a knob is pulled outwardly and returned to home position to complete a vending cycle.

In machines of this type the customer must supply the force necessary to operate the dispensing mechanism of the machine section with which the knob is associated to drive the price dilferential mechansm and to drive the common operating bar with which the coin mechanism actuator, the full-stroke device and other feautres are associated. The addition of various safety features and auxiliary mechanisms to machines of this type over the years without any substantial change in the basic operating mechanism has rendered the machines relatively difficult to operate. Generally speaking, there are two somewhat inconsistent requirements for machines of this type. First, they must be sufficiently easy to operate as to permit a relatively weak person to obtain merchandise from the machine. Secondly, they must be so constructed that a stronger person or a thief or a Vandal cannot damage the parts of the machine in attempts to obtain merchandise.

Operating mechanisms incorporated in machines of the prior -art of the type described above do not satisfactorily fulll the requirements outlined above. First, all of the pull rods are relativey hard to operate in that they require a strong pull. Secondly, the force required to operate the rods varies considerably from one end of the machine to the other. It has been found also that operating parts of the machine have been damaged by too rapid withdrawal of a pull rod from its home position. Moreover, some customers have forced the rods back to their home positions with such force as to cause the parts to 3,437,237 Patented Apr. 8, 1969 be damaged, thus jamming at least the associated section of the machine. It has further been found with presently existing operating mechanisms that the pull force varies considerably over the stroke of the pull rod thus giving rise to a tendency in the customer to operate the pull rod in an irregular and too forceful manner.

We have invented an improved operating mechanism for a mechanical merchandising machine which overcomes the defects of operating mechanisms of the prior art. Our mechanism is easier to operate then are mechanism of the prior art. The force required to operate all of the mechanisms across the machine is substantially the same. The pull required to operate our mechanism over the stroke of the pull bar is substantially constant. Our mechanism is so constructed as to minimize the possibility of damage to the parts as a result of too fast a withdrawal of the pull bar from its home position. We provide our mechanism with an arrangement for minimizing the possibility of damage to the machine by an excessve force applied to the bar to return it to its home position.

Summary of the invention One object of our invention is to provide an improved operating mechanism for a mechanical merchandising machine which overcomes the defects of operating mechanisms for mechanical merchandisers known in the prior art.

Another object of our invention is to provide an operating mechanism for a mechanical merchandising machine which is relatively easy to operate.

A further object of our invention is to provide an operating mechanism for a mechanical merchandising machine wherein the force required to operate all units across the machine is substantially the same.

A still further object of our invention is to provide an operating mechanism for a mechanical 4merchandising machine wherein the force required to operate the `mechanism is substantially constant over the length of the pull ibar stroke.

Yet another object of our invention is to provide an operating mechanism for a mechanical merchandiser in which the possibility of damage resulting from too fast a withdrawal of the pull bar is minimized.

A still further object of our invention is to provide an operating mechanism for a mechanical merchandising machine wherein the danger of damage to operating parts by too forceful a return of the pull bar is minimized.

Other and further objects of our invention will appear from the following description.

In general our invention contemplates the provision of an improved operating mechanism for a mechanical -merchandising machine in which each of a plurality of selectively operated pull rods swings a common operating bar around a pivot spaced from the bar against the action of a relatively constant force torsion spring arrangement disposed at the end of the bar remote the full-stroke, coin mechanism actuating and other auxiliary mechanism. This movement of the operating bar drives a fullstroke pawl along an arcuate rack. Concomitantly, a link carried by the bar pivot a bell crank to cause a drive link to actuate a pivoted coin register drive arm which receives a pin on the coin mechanism locking bar. An Overspeed locking link rides on a pin on the operating ibar link to regulate the rapidity with which a customer can draw a pull bar from its home position. Movement of a pull rod pivots a crank to drive a pin on the dispensing mechanism associated with the rod to initiate a dispensing operation. A one-way resilient lost motion connection between each pull rod and the remainder of the mechanism prevents too forceful a return of the rod from damaging the mechanism.

Brief description ofthe drawings In the accompanying drawings which form part of the instant specication and which are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of one type of merchandising machine provided with one embodiment of our improved operating mechanism with parts broken away.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the merchandising machine shown in FIGURE 1 take along the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the merchandising machine shown in FIGURE 1 taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 and drawn on an enlarged scale.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of a portion of our improved operating mechanism illustrating parts in their actuated positions.

Description of the preferred embodiments Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 3, one machine, indicated generally by the reference character 10, with which our mechanism can be used includes a framework with side walls 12 and 14 and a cross piece 16 and having a merchandise delivery tray, indicated generally by the reference character 118, as well as a pull `bar housing indicated generally by the reference character 20. The housing 20 includes a top 22 and a bottom 24, as well as a front 26 provided with openings 28 -for receiving pull bars to be described.

In the particular machine illustrated in the drawings, a plurality of fore and aft partitions 30 spaced across the machine are provided with spaced lateral ilanges 32 and 34. Flanges 32 and 34 of each partition 30 pivotally support a plurality of generally horizontally extending shelf shafts 36. Each of the wire shafts comprises a bent or crank portion 38 extending forward beyond the flange 32. The `wire extends rearwardly from the crank portion 38 through a bearing opening in ilange 32 and back along the partition 30 and through the flange 34. Each wire or shaft 36 carries for rotation therewith a shelf 40 provided with spaced lugs 42 and 44 which receive the shaft 36. The shelves 40 are adapted to support articles of merchandise such, for example, as candy bars or the like adapted to be dispensed by the machine.

Each of the crank portions 38 of the shafts 36 is adapted to engage a portion 46 of the partition 30 extending forwardly of ange 32 to hold the shelf erected. We provide each section of our lmachine with means for actuating the shaft crank portions 38 sequentially to drop first the bottom shelf and then the remaining shelves from bottom to top of the machine section. To achieve this each crank is moved to the left as viewed in FIGURE 3 out of engagement with the portion 46 to permit the associated shelf to drop to deliver the articles to the tray 18.

Each partition 30 supports a channel-shaped traveller guide 48, which may be integrally formed with the flange 32 and which has a front 50 formed with a plurality of 4vertically spaced openings 52 corresponding in number to the number of shelves. Front 50 carries a rearwardly extending vertical flange 54 disposed in the plane of partition portion 46. We mount a traveller 56 for vertical sliding movement on the guide 48. Traveller 56 extends around the guide 48 and carries for movement therewith a reset cam 58 disposed within the guide 48. A negative spring 60 supported adjacent the top of the machine is connected to the reset cam 58 normally to urge the cam and the traveller 56 to move upwardly as viewed in FIGURE 3. A leaf spring 62 disposed within traveller 56 acts on a latching element 64 carried by the traveller normally to urge a toe 66 into engagement with the surface of the guide front 50. When the toe 66 rides into engagement with one of the openings 52, the traveller 56 is prevented from moving upwardly under the inuence of spring 60.

A pair of spaced pins 68 and 70 carried by the guide 48 are disposed in a pair of cam slots 72 and 74 in the traveller actuating bar 76. Bar 76 normally is held in the position shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. In order to dispense an article by dropping one of the shelves, bar 76 is moved downwardly and the interaction of the pins 68 and 70 and the slots 72 and 74 shogs the bar 76 to the left as viewed in FIGURES 3 and 4. A pin 78 on the bar is moved downwardly in a manner to be described to initiate this action.

When the bar 76 moves downwardly and to the left, the surface of one of a plurality of notches 80l in the edge of bar 76 engages toe 66 to move it out of the notch 52 to permit spring 60 to move the traveller upwardly. The traveller moves upwardly until the toe 66 engages one of a number of stops 81 on the bar 76. On the return stroke of the machine, the toe 66 is moved into engagement with the next opening 52 above that in which it had been disposed before operation of the machine. As the traveller moves upwardly, a release cam 82 carried by the traveller and disposed within guide 48 engages one of the shaft cranks 38 to move the shaft to the left as viewed in FIGURE 3 until the crank 38 is in the space between ange 54 and extension 46 in which position the weight of an article can pivot the shelf to permit the article to fall to the delivery tray. After all of the shelves of a unit have been released in the manner described, to reset the mechanism the traveller 56 is moved downward manually to cause the cam 58 to act on the cranks 38 to restore the shelves to their erected positions.

The structure thus far described does not per se form any part of our invention and for that reason will not be described in greater detail. The details of this arrangement for releasing the shelves 40 is illustrated more fully in Gabrielsen et al. Patent No. 2,996,217.

We mount an elognated bracket 84 across the front 26 of housing 20. Bracket 84 is provided with a plurality of openings 86 aligned with openings 28. Each pair of aligned openings 28 and 86 slidably receives a respective pull rod 88 having a knob 90 outside bracket 84. Each rod extends through a bore 92 in a casting 94. We connect a tension spring 96 between an offset on a head 98 at the inner end of the rod 88 and a pin 91 on the casting. Each spring normally urges its associated rod 88 to a position at which its head 98 bears on the inner surface of casting 94. Owing to this arrangement, a force exerted on knob tending to move rod 88 outwardly is directed transmitted to the casting. A force exerted on knob 90 tending to move rod 88 inwardly is transmitted to the casting through the medium of the tension spring 96 for a reason to be described hereinafter.

Referring now to FIGURES 1, 3 and 4, our machine includes an operaitng bar pivot shaft 100 rotatably supported in the sides 12 and 14 of machine 10. Shaft 100 carries for rotation therewith a pair of arms 102 and 104 disposed adjacent the sides 12 and 14. Arms 102 and 104 carry the operating bar 106 of the machine. A pin 108 on the arm 102 pivotally supports a bracket 110. Bracket 110 carries a shaft 112 which supports the coils of a torsion spring 114, one end of which is pivotally supported on a pin 116 carried by the machine frame. The other arm 118 of the spring 114 is adapted to bear on an offset 120 on bracket 110 normally to urge shaft 108 and the arms 102 and 104 to rotate in a clockwise direction as veiwed in FIGURES 3 and 4. In this manner the operating bar 106 is supported for swinging movement around the axis of shaft 100 and is normally urged to swing in a clockwise direction.

We form each casting 94 with a dependent portion 122 disposed behind the operating bar 106. When any of the rods 88 is pulled outwardly, the associated portion 122 engages the operating bar 106 to swing the bar in a counterclockwise direction from the position shown in FIGURE 3 to the position shown in FIGURE 4 against the action of the torsion spring 114.

Each casting 94 carries a pin 124 which pivotally supports a hook 126 normally biased by gravity to move in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 3 and 4 to a position at which it engages the operating bar. In the home position of the associated rod 88, an end 128 on the hook engages the back of the plunger housing 20 to move the hook to a position out of engagement with the bar 106. As the plunger is pulled out of the housing the hook drops to engage the bar. Hook 126 serves to prevent the plunger from being pushed back into the housing independently of the operating bar 106 when the bar is at an intermediate position in the course of its travel outwardly of the housing.

A plate 130 secured to a partition 30 by any suitable means carries a pin 132 which pivotally supports a lever 134. We form the end of lever 134 remote from the pivot 132 with a slot 136 which slidably receives the pin 124 on the casting 94. An arcuate slot 138 formed in the lever 134 intermediate its ends receives the pin 78 on the actuating bar 76. When, has has been explained hereinabove, the pull bar 88 is withdrawn from the housing, pin 124 rotates lever 134 in a clockwise direction around the pivot 132. In the course of this movement, an end of slot 138 engages the pin 78 to pull the bar 76 downwardly to cause the bar to shog to the left, as viewed in FIGURES 3 and 4, to trip the latch 64 to permit a dispensing operation to take place. Owing to the fact that we employ the particular lever 134 in our construction rather than a cam plate such as has been used in mechanisms of the prior art, the portion of the for-ce exerted on knob 90 is reduced from that which is required to actuate bar 76 in structures of the prior art wherein a sliding cam plate is employed.

In the form of actuating mechanism we employ, we mount an empty lock 140 on pin 78. Lock 140 includes an offset flange 142 which is disposed in a notch extending laterally from a slot 146 in top 22 through which the lever 134 extends. As the shelves are tripped, ultimately the top shelf is tripped and, as is explained in the Gabrielsen et al. patent referred to hereinabove, when that occurs the traveller 56 engages a pin 148 on the actuating bar 76 to raise the bar slightly. The emp-ty lock moves upwardly with bar 76 until its ange 142 is in a position in the path of an offset 150 on the casting 94. While the upper portion of the ange 142 is in the path of the offset 150, the lower portion remains disposed in the notch of slot 146. If an attempt is made to withdraw the plunger, the path of the offset 150 is blocked so as to prevent withdrawal of the plunger.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, the end of operating bar 186 adjacent the righthand side of the machine extends through an arcuate slot 152 in a plate 154 at the righthand side of the housing 20. We pivotally mount a pawl 156 on the end of bar 106 outboard of plate 154. A spring 158 extending between pawl 156 and a lug 160 on the side plate 14 biases the pawl to the position shown in FIG- URE 2. We mount an arcuate rack 162 over the slot 152 in a position at which it can be engaged by the pawl 156. As the operating bar 106 swings to the left, as viewed in FIGURE 2, pawl 156 is pivoted slightly in a clockwise direction. The arrangement is such that with the pawl in engagement with the rack teeth of the movement just described, it is prevented from moving to the right. As the outward stroke of the bar is completed, pawl 156 comes into a region 164 of the rack 162 from which the teeth have been removed. As this occurs, the spring 158 restores the pawl to its normal position. Then when the shaft 88 is moved either by the action of spring 114 or by the combined action of the spring and the force of the operator back to its home position, pawl 156 engages the rack teeth and is cocked slightly counterclockwise to prevent the shaft 88 from being again withdrawn before the coin mechanism to be described has been actuated and to ensure the full return to the home position of the rod 88.

It will be appreciated that the structure of the pawl 156 and rack 162 just described ensures that the rod 88 must be operated for a full stroke. At the same time the hook 126 prevents operation of casting 94 independently of the operating bar 106 when that bar is locked in position by the full-stroke mechanism. Thus, a dishonest person cannot manipulate the operating mechanism while in an intermediate position and jackpot the machine or obtain an article of merchandise and then have his coins returned. Pushing rod 88 under these conditions merely stretches spring 96.

We connect one end of a link 166 to the end of the operating bar 106 outboard of pawl 156. We form the other end of the link 166 with a right angle slot 168 for receiving a pin 17 0. A crank plate 172 pivotally supported on the side 14 by a pin 174 carries the pin 170. The arrangement of slot 168 provides a lost motion to delay the locking of the mechanism until the price differential information has been transmitted to the coin mechanism and ensures against lost motion at the beginning of the return stroke so that the mechanism safely returns to locked position.

A push link 176 connects a pin 178 on crank plate 172 to a second pin 180 on the coin mechanism operating arm 182. We mount arm 182 for pivotal movement on a shaft 184 carried by side 14. A guide stud 186 on side 14 rides in a slot 188 in arm 182 to guide the arm in the course of its movement. The arm 182 has a slot 190 for receiving a pin 192 of the locking bar 194 of the coin mechanism (not shown) which may be used with our operating mechanism. A suitable coin mechanism for use with our mechanism is shown and described in Krakauer et al. Patent No. 3,135,271.

The coin mechanism with which our machine is used includes a price differential cam 196 adapted to be driven to provide a price differential of a base price, which differential is proportional to the movement provided by the cam track 197 in response to rotary displacement of the price differential cam. The cam 196 carries studs 198 adapted to be engaged to rotate the cam. Our drive mechanism includes a price differential operating arm 200 carred by a shaft 202 rotatably supported on the machine frame and extending across the width of the machine. Arm 201i carries an offset lug 284 which engages one of the studs 198 to rotate the price differential cam when a price differential is to be provided. A plurality of respective fingers 206 carried by the price differential shaft 202 are adapted to be engaged by tabs 208 on the respective castings 94 to operate the fingers to rotate shaft 202 to provide the required price differential. We so position the respective fingers 206 around shaft 202 as to provide the respective price differentials required for the various items dispensed in the different sections of the machine. A spring 210 extending between the arm 200 and a pin 212 on side 14 normally urges the arm 200 in a clockwise direction out of engagement with the stud 198.

We provide our improved operating mechanism with a speed lock link 214 pivotally supported on a shaft 216 on side 14. We form the speed ink with a stepped slot 218 which receives a pin 220 carried by the link 166. The slot 218 is so constructed that if link 166 is moved too rapidly to the left, as viewed in FIGURE 2, stud 220 will engage a riser 222 of the stepped slot and further movement to the left of the link 166 cannot be achieved until the force on the pull knob is relieved.

In operation of our improved mechanism for a mechanical merchandising machine, a customer desiring to make a purchase first inserts in the coin mechanism (not shown) a sum in coins aggregating at least the purchase of the article he desires. Having deposited his money, the customer next grasps the knob corresponding to the desired article of merchandise and draws it outwardly to move rod 88 to the left as viewed in FIGURES 3 and 4. As the rod 88 moves outwardly the dependent portion 122 of casting 94 engages the operating bar 106 to swing it in a counterclockwise direction against the action of the torsion spring 114. Hook 126 drops over the operating bar and pawl 156 engages rack 162. The customer must now pull the rod 88 outwardly through a full stroke before he can permit the rod S8 to return. The speed lock link 214 prevents the customer from pulling the bar out so rapidly that either the operating mechanism is damaged or the machine delivers an article without accepting money.

As the pull rod moves outwardly, pin 124 pivots lever 134 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 3 to the position shown in FIGURE 4. In the course of this movement the actuating bar 76 moves downwardly and to the left to cause the notched surface 80 to move finger 66 out of the opening 52 to permit spring 60 to move traveller 56 upwardly until the nger 66 engages the stop 81. As the traveller moves upwardly the cam 82 engages the offset 38 of the lowermost erected shelf to move it out of engagement with portion 46 to permit the shelf to drop to deliver the article of merchandise. When the rod 88 returns to its home position finger 66 engages in the next uppermost opening 52 to reset the mechanism.

In the course of the operating bar movement just described, link 166 moves to the left and rotates crank plate 172 in a clockwise direction to cause the link 176 to pivot arm 182 counterclockwise to the broken line position shown in FIGURE 2. This movement of the arm carries pin 192 to the left if the lo-cking bar 194 is free as a result of the deposit of money in the coin mechanism. Concomitantly with this operation, the price differential arm 200 is driven to operate cam 196 as required to provide the proper price differential.

After the rod 88 has been pulled to its outermost position to initiate a dispensing operation in the manner described, it can be released to permit the torsion spring 114l to return the operating bar and the parts of the machine to their initial position. It may be that the customer having pulled the rod 88 outwardly, will add to the force of the spring 114 in returning the rod. The lost motion connection provided by spring 96 prevents the operator from exerting an excessive force in returning the rod. In the event that the supply of merchandise desired is depleted, the corresponding bar 76 will have been moved upwardly to a position at which the flange 142 of the empty lock blocks the movement of the offset 150.

It will be seen that certain features of our mechanism facilitate operation of the machine while at the samel time protecting the parts of the operating mechanism against damage. The swinging operating bar 106 together 'with the pivoted actuating lever 134 and the pivoted coin mechanism operating arm 182, all of which replace sliding elements, contribute to the reduction in the force necessary to operate the mechanism. Not only is that true but, also, we have so interrelated the parts as to afford a superior mechanical advantage over arrangements of the prior art. Our speed lock link 214 prevents damage to the operating parts of the machine by an attempt to pull the rod 88 too rapidly. The lost motion spring 96 avoids damage which Otherwise might result from slamming the mechanism home. Our torsion spring 114 arranged at the side of the machine remote the full stroke and coin mechanism actuating linkage ensures against the characteristic of structures of the prior art which results in an operating force which varies from unit to unit across the machine.

It will be seen that we have accomplished the objects of our invention. We have provided an improved operating mechanism for a mechanical merchandising machine which reduces the force required to operate the machine. We have provided our 4machine with means for protecting the parts thereof against damage resulting from too rapid operation. We have also provided means for minimizing the possibility of damage from too rapid a return of the mechanism. Our arrangement not only reduces the effort required to operate an individual unit but it ensures that substantially the same amount of effort is required for each of the units. Our system is so constructed as to provide a very nearly constant pull over the length of the operating stroke of the machine.

It will be understood that certain features and subcomlbinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of our claims. It is furhter obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of our claims without departing from the spirit of our invention. It is, therefore, to be understood that our invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. In a merchandising machine adapted to dispense articles of merchandise from a plurality of respective sections, a frame, a plurality of manually operable members, means mounting said lmembers for movement on said frame at respective locations adjacent said sections, an operating bar common to all of said sections, a shaft carried by said frame, means mounting said operating 4bar on said shaft for swinging movement on said frame, means responsive to operation of one of said members foi swinging said bar, a coin mechanism operating member, means mounting said coin mechanism operating member for pivotal movement on said frame, a link carried by said operating bar, and means including said link connecting said operating bar to said coin mechanism operating member to pvot said member in response to swinging movement of said bar.

2. In a machine as in claim 1 in which said means connecting said operating bar to said coin mechanism operating member includes a bell crank, means mounting said bell crank for pivotal movement on said frame, said link connecting said bell crank to said operating bar and a second link connecting said bell crank to said coin mechanism operating member.

3. In a machine as in claim 1, a guide pin on said frame, said coin mechanism operating 4member being an arm having an arcuate slot for receiving said pin.

4. In a machine as in claim 1, a full stroke mechanism comprising a pawl pivoted on said bar and an arcuate rack secured to said frame at a location to be' engaged by said pawl upon operation of said bar.

5. In a machine as in claim 1 in which said link is formed with a *stepped slot and a -pin on said frame disposed in said slot.

6. In a merchandising machine having a frame, a dispensing unit comprising a member mounted for generally vertical reciprocating movement on said frame, a pull bar mounted for generally horizontal reciprocating movement on said frame, a lever mounted for pivotal movement on said frame, a first pin and Islot connection between said pull bar and said lever and a second pin and slot connection between said lever and said member for moving said member in response to movement of said pull bar.

7. In a mechanical merchandising machine as in claim 1, means for limiting the speed with which said bar may move in response to actuation of one of said members.

8. In a mechanical merchandising machine as in claim 1, means including a speed lock link pivoted on said frame for limiting the speed with which said bar may move in response to operation of one of said members.

9. In a mechanical merchandising machine as in claim 1, a speed lock link carried by said frame and interengageable means on said operating bar carried link and on said lock link for limiting the speed at which said bar can be moved in response to operation of ione of said members.

10. I-n a mechanical merchandising machine as in claim 1, a speed lock link pivotally carried by said frame and interengageable means comlprising a pin on one of said links and a portion of theother link forming a `stepped slot for limiting the speed with which said bar can be moved in response to operation of one of said members.

11. In a mechanical merchandising machine as in claim 1 in which said locations are spaced across said machine, said bar adapted to swing between a rst position and a second position, said coin mechanism operating member being adjacent one side of said machine, means adjacent the other side of said machine for biasing said bar to one of said positions.

12. In a merchandising mach-ine as in claim 1 in which said operating bar mounting means comtp-rises respective arms connecting said shaft to said bar, a bracket, means mounting said bracket for `,pivotal movement on one of said arms, a torsion spring, means mounting said spring for pivotal movement on said bracket, means pivotally connecting one of said spring arms to said frame, said other spring arm adapted to bear on said bracket.

13. In a mechanical merchandising machine as in claim 1 in which each of said member movement responsive means comprises an element carried by an associated member for engaging said bar in one direction of movement of said member, operating bar engageable means pivotally carried by said element, `said engagealble means being biased for movement to a lposition to engage said bar in the other direction of movement of said member and interengageable means on said engageable means and on said frame for holding said engageable means out of said position in an unoperated lposition of the associated member.

14. In a merchandising machine as in claim 1 a plurality of merchandising dispensing systems associated with each of said members, each of said systems comprising an actuating bar, means mounting said actuating bar on said frame for concomitant longitudinal and transverse movement, a lever, means mounting said lever for pivotal movement on. said frame, irst interengageable means on said actuating bar and on said lever and second interengageable means on said lever and the associated member for moving said actuating bar in response to movement of said member.

15. In a merchandising machine as in claim I14 in which `said first interengagealble means comprises a pin on said actuating bar and a slot in said lever and in which said second interengageable means comprises bifurcations on said lever and a pin on said associated member disposed between said bifurcations.

16. In a merchandising machine as in claim 1 in which said members are rods and in which said rods are mounted for sliding movement between a retracted 'position and a withdrawn position, said rod movement responsive means comprising a respective bar engaging member carried by each of said rods, interengageable means on each lof said rod and its associated bar-engaging member forming a positive driving connection upon movement of said rod from its retracted to its withdrawn position and a spring connected between said rod land said bar-engaging member for holding said interengageable means in engagement.

17. In a mechanical merchandising machine as in claim 1 including a respective generally vertically extending dispensing mechanism actuating bar associated with each of said sections, in which said members are rods and in which said rods are mounted for generally horizontal movement, an empty lock carried by said actuating bar, interengageable means comprising a flange on said lock and said frame for preventing horizontal movement thereof While permitting vertical movement thereof, said rod movement responsive means comprising members mounted respectively for movement with said rods, said flanges normally occupying positions out of the paths of movement of said members and means responsive to depletion of merchandise in the section corresponding to a rod for moving the associated actuating bar to position its ange in the path of the corresponding member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,565,766 8/1951 Gabrieisen et al. 221-90 2,726,749 12/1955 Du Grenier et al. 194-54 2,884,163 4/ 1959 Du Grenier et al. 221--90 2,990,930 7/ 1961 Melvin 194-9 STANLEY H, TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 221-152 

